Lever Harp for the Modern hARPIST
BRINGING CHROMATIC MUSIC TO THE LEVER HARP COMMUNITY
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PAST SEMINAR TOPICS
1) Classical Re-imaginations
Get tips on approaching and playing works from the “Classical Re-imaginations” sheet music collection from the arranger herself. Learn and grow in an intimate environment. Registration will be capped at 8 participants.
In this seminar, you will:
learn strategies to execute lever shifts in ways that would complements the flow of the music
review some overarching approach on playing the works in the collection
receive in-depth guidance on tackling a number of works in the collection
2) adapting chromatic works for lever harp
Learn strategies for re-imagining pedal harp works or chromatic music for other instruments on the lever harp.
In this seminar, you will:
explore the tools that Amelia developed to modify chromatic passages for playing on the lever harp
apply these tools to adapt a piece of music for the lever harp with guidance from Amelia
annotate your Lever Roadmap to document your modifications for future reference
TESTIMONIAL
“In ‘Adapting Chromatic Works for Lever Harp’ I learned how to examine a piece and adapt it for lever harp in a way that maintains the essence and energy of the original work while making it manageable for my instrument.” - Karissa Thatcher
3) arranging classical works for solo harp or chamber ensemble
Orchestrate a work to highlight the strengths of the lever harp in solo or multiple-instrument settings.
In this seminar, you will:
explore how to bring out the strengths of individual instruments
learn where to highlight solo instruments
discover how to take bring a life to work using the timbre, range and harmonies available in solo harp writing
TESTIMONIALS
"I took Amelia's arranging seminar in November 2022. Excellent! She crystallized some aspects of arranging I already "knew"--like starting simple then expanding…I learned new techniques…[and] ways to vary the left hand. Thank you, Amelia!" - Martha Dahlen
“The first harp-arranging seminar I took from Amelia Romano was challenging for me. After the seminar, Amelia asked for my feedback, we talked at some length, and together we realized that a specific change to the seminar format might help. A seminar in which participants first submit something arranged on their own, and then she gives suggestions as to which techniques would improve it. I took the next seminar (“Arranging for Harp in Ensembles”) and thought this worked much better, and I appreciated her readiness to ask for feedback and use it to improve the seminar. I know I can count on her for this sort of approach in the future; she is engaged in how to make the seminars as enjoyable and useful as possible for her participants.” - Roseanne Skinner
4) navigating lever-shifting repertoire
Equip yourself with tools to play lever-shifting repertoire with ease.
In this seminar, you will:
learn strategies to execute lever shifts in ways that would complements the flow of the music
practice annotating chromatic passages and executing lever shifts with a classical, folk, or jazz tune
TESTIMONIALS
“By the end of the seminar I felt equipped to tackle any number of lever-shifting challenges and had plenty of skills in my bag even for music that I am still not advanced enough to play.” - Roseanne Skinner
“…I now have a better grasp of how to modify my music…determine what levers can be set in advance and which ones must be set quickly as I play… [P]lanning my lever shifts carefully and practicing according to the plan… make[s] it possible for me to practice and eventually play intermediate to advanced [lever-shifting repertoire].” - Tracy Fewster
A bit more about me, your instructor:
I am a harpist, composer, and educator based in San Francisco. I’ve dedicated much of my career to building and advancing repertoire for the lever harp in contemporary music. The result of my efforts, Lever Shifting for the Modern Harpist is a series of workshops and seminars designed to equip lever players with the tools to navigate, practice and perform chromatic repertoire.
My harp journey started over two decades ago. I began studying the diatonic lever harp in fourth grade. Growing up playing and composing world music in teen harp ensembles, I quickly fell in love with the contagious rhythms of Latin America. They were unforgettable.
Attending the San Francisco School of the Arts High School, I studied viola to participate in the orchestra, while continuing lever harp studies and performing Laura Zaerr’s Celtic Harp Concerto her senior year on St. Patrick's Day.
Graduating with a BA in Interdisciplinary Field Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, my senior thesis, explored the legacy of the South African Apartheid system, focused on the relationship between Peace and Conflict Students, Psychology, and Environmental Studies. Having spent a semester abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, volunteering at the Ntonga Music School, I returned the following year, sponsored by the Los Angeles-based non-profit that built and funded the school, the Playing for Change Foundation.
My time in Cape Town connecting and performing in the local music scene gave new purpose to my music life. Upon returning to the US, she formed StringQuake, merging rhythms with music from Latin America and Eastern Europe. A half dozen road trips and international tours later, I identified a burning curiosity for another language: classical music.
From my desire to merge folk and classical traditions, I partnered with a classical trumpeter to form the group Luminance. Through this collaboration I quickly fell in love with the melodies and chromatic progressions of Chopin and Debussy. My hunger to speak and understand this language grew by the day. When the pandemic upended the music industry, I returned to school to pursue a classical education at San Francisco State University.
While my formal classical education commenced in August 2020, the seed for my curiosity was born years prior. In 2014, I stumbled upon Barbara Brundage’s book, Classics on Request. This compilation of classics adapted for lever harp was my ticket to exploring this language. Brundage’s adaptation of Claire de lune and Premiere Arabesque were the perfect invitation to the classical realm. Craving repertoire that might complement the folk rhythms of my childhood, I worked through these compelling adaptations. I sought a vocabulary that honored both traditions.
From Fall of 2020-Spring of 2023, I pursued advanced studies in classical harp performance under the tutelage of retired second harpist of the San Francisco Symphony, Karen Gottlieb. Immersing myself in harp fundamentals — technique and tools to navigate classical works — I has centered my studies around classical adaptations and repertoire, making her own adaptations where necessary. In this process, I compiled a toolkit to approach and re-work music not intended for levers.
With a couple dozen lever players internationally performing classical and chromatic works — Anne-Marie O’Farrell and Catriona McKay, to name a few — my seminars equip lever players with tools to advance the lever harp in the classical world.